The Dillon tribune., 1887-03-18

! ' '"S'''! -''ie ec lett IT Is about five miles
| across. ''
The Federal vessels Law about ,,,c ,,,,. ,,o
very near together
Inc Minnesota and tho Roanoke were. L,r
near Fortress Monroe, tho Cumberland 49,,
Congress We're off yontler south. n,>,, H.
mouth of the Elizabeth river saws ,hn ,..,n.
| tain.
about noon. Saturday, MARCH =, l!u, v.,;-
Graf loo!:"nts saw something coming dow,
the Liizah,ta river. 1t was, in ,oc,, ,,,.,n
thihs,' y, they presently novc.l nearer. II
. was three steamers. Two Of tl,teu y:rr,. ,.4;;.
nary gunboats. The other wa. Il Queer loos:, +.
I craft, appearing like tho roof Of barn steam.
Ing down stream. Was this the Mp.rin,,...
lhe little fleet came sIe:.lnn;s down, tin. ri, a.
and out into tho roads, Quickly the Ni.,n.-
sofa and tho Roanoke ,n:,,l, read, to n,.,.t
tho newcomers. The queer craft was tn.
Merrinac at last. The Roanoke l,;,d bGtl,,.,
shaft. She had to ln towet out into the
water by tugs.
| H. does not take long to tell the story O:
what followed. The Minnesota .roun,lr..
OUT or range OF the Virginia, and could NJ:
| t'a got oil. Ii. was ell, tide Presently The.
Roanoke grounded ut tke stern The Tni,e,!
States navy was not worth much more the.
than it is now.
! The Congress and Cumberland were au.
chorcd nearest to the coming monitor as sl.
steamed out OF Elizabeth river.
| There was some exchange of shots as tb.,
Meirinlac came booming on. One shot from
her disabled several gunnels on the Cu,nber-
land. The Cumberland was swung broatlsile.
across the channel The Mcrri,lar went 1T
Eer straight as III, arrow AMI r,,,ncd her
IRON beak into tho Cumcrlaiuis side. \
! great opening was made and water poured in
Il torrent iitn til" Cunherl,na T,cu the
Merrilnac opened fire. Every shuG hit ,h,.
mark, nnl the decks OF tl,e wor,!en %hi;, " ~
| soon covered with dead and injured. III
three quarters of an hour .. nlo,.,aliv i,;;:,
ship went down in iftv-fo,ir fee: oi water
carrying dead. dying aE;l wounded with ,lcr.
Some were picked up in boats from the sl.oi,.
a'u Il te" swami tn land Tie Cum
Lella:'ds topnas5 Showed ahov, wa.
Ter, with he" flag still flying |, was
tho turn oi the Congress, next TIN,
ti7o rn1a'DaliiNA &;!,l'o..> nf the Meiriilac
had ;ttacl:@A ,'>,,. S,n~ilir ia" iat, ui the
Caml'rl!Hlt! t.:2l.. Ia;.a.",:s,t co,unant,a.
"f the Congress, .;e, !''r ;,-,ou.tl by means
ol tugs in ORDER 10 prevent tln Mciri,nac
lrom sinking l,or. The Mrriina:. after sink
| ing tho Cumberland began pnurin,; shot into
Tie Congress. TIL" :i,u Of the tnlrr.era;r~
was naarv"'o.,,y nrcu..t.c Ti!a i::.ng from
the Congress had 10 cffyc: ON III" Mp!ri,up;.'S
s'oling iron Sides
At $50 Lieut.. PrHnlcr-ast, s>riiS all was
over. hauled huw,l tlr" stars and strirt~ and
ran up II white 1ag in tokcu 81 surrender,
The COi.ft,lc'at"s se1l. II t;,~ to tan,. t,rina,
possession.
But the Congress under shelter OF hr
Union batteries at Newport News. and they
opened tr. aud .'ov,' the tn. ri. It i, s;.;,'
, they did not scc il' white fla. 'j'i,c,, t!r.
Merrin,ac poured re-; hot shot into the poor
old ship again. Presently >hn left hcr and
bore down upon tho AiiniuSsota.
III this interval. the crew Of the Congress,
what there were left Of them. escaped to
shore in tn" boats. Next morning, Of the 4:;l
brave men and tr,,, whH lad composed l,..v
crew, only half answered To their name, II:
roll call. Tho rest wrrc killed, wounded and
missing.
There had come into Hampton Roads on
Friday, March Il. thu naval ship st. Law
renee u sailer Scrii,s; how thu. hatle was go
Ing, she had herself towe.l toward the
! grounded Minnesota. and presently she her
self grounded. io@cthc: the two helpless
vessels waited the onslaught of the iron
scakc,l monster. There seems 10 have
been incSplicable ignorance oi the channels
on tho part "f the Federal pilots The Roa-
noke, the Minnesota and tn, st. Lawrence
ell ran aground.
The st. Lawrence fired Lr",.i>;,.s AT the
Merrimac, which did not the slightest hari,..
The Mcrrin,ac fired one single shell ut the ST.
Lawrence. 1t went through the woo,len ship
like n bolt Of Lightning. Then tn. ST Law.
renee. llo,s III, combat, stole of Ike y
? whipped animal up toward Fortress Monroe
1t was getting dark. The ram aud her 81:
le,ri;,nt gunhoats ,i,'W "if from the light and
steamed TO Sevcl': point. whc," they
anchored. The hot ,!in: the r;a:.l had thrown
last into the Congress, had lccl for tho p,l.-
pose Of setting, fire to her. This object was
| accomplished. Tho battered ship burned to
the waters edge. About midnight the fires
reached her powder magazine, when she
blow up with Il tremendous roar. and that
was the end of the Congress.
"flarpcrs Pictorial History" says %! the Mcr,
rim;.c: No vessel llat ever tlnl c.l had over
done .,,''' :, work in Il single i,,ii day
:h' h,u destroyed
xeA two powerful '. -
NM >"iS, carr. in.. tire"
-- ,6<.~. ,$N. time, l,"r i:ul,rr
f.fEJS VS. 1sNM, ut men, and fnly
"A leo ML7sy sNt.!r.S her wricl..
sfA.ss n.y. Il armament" i,n'
! Eir:i ...~ hS..eytk Federal N;>>c,; :,,,
"a ,SSaHA quite 81, in'ii that
@ !: !: !: !: :: :: !: $: 6: u; i: ! ! !:
42s>-sc, ! SlHRNM >.h of March, lT;:!',
| M$% T<-~.I /lIGVlGlN1 NM: ur Confederate,
| XsA1EALsGlyIIQIEH!!sg:Et I; only H. Would
| XHMlHHgEsk$"''"i :NTinf, mae com" back
| '"'S| nc>:. nlnniug anil
John ERICSSON destroy tn" Minnie
f.,r